Labor of love worth the effort with admiration from the crowd

October 26, 2003|By BOBBIE BLACK, Daily American Home and Family Editor

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The year-long labor of love that Diana Mitchell pours into her elaborate miniature village display is well worth it to her when she hears the admiration from the youngsters as well as adults.

"I just love to watch the people point out special buildings that I have named or parks that have been made to appear to be replicas of area sites," she added.

Mrs. Mitchell became involved in collecting her huge display after her husband, Eric, decided to become active with the Laurel Highlands Model Railroad Club, which meets in the Glades Court Building. Each Christmas season and again in January during the Fire and Ice Festival, the club opens its doors in the basement of the building to showcase nearly a dozen displays to the public.

"We get people in here from out of state who have stopped in each year to see what I have added to my display," Mitchell laughed.

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First drawn into the hobby by a husband who enjoys building sets for his model train display, Mitchell drew him into designing a sparkling town-at-twilight display that contains over 135 lighted houses, lakes and rivers, a business district and a residential area.

"We worked on the mountains, making them just right, and then we painted them, before placing the houses where we wanted them," she added.

A native of Markelton, she is a 1975 graduate of Rockwood Area High School and is the daughter of John King of Markleton and Shirley King of Somerset.

She met her husband through her church, the Markleton Church of God, and has dedicated part of her display to her husband's family, a section of the display that mirrors the coastal area of Maine, including shops, a boardwalk and fishermen coming in from the sea.

"I wanted that to be included in my displayas a tribute to my husband and his family," she added.

Mitchell adds to her collection all year long, changing the display to reflect the time of the year when it is open.

"I have collected several pieces that I use for the fire and ice festival, especially pieces that symbolize the ice carvings," she said.

When not in the Glades Court working on her display, she is at her job at the CVS Warehouse in Somerset or on weekends as a waitress at Eat and Park Restaurant.

"I love to interact with people," she said, pointing out that she enjoys working with the members of the model railroad club on the projects they do throughout the year.

"I wanted to include all the areas that are found in Somerset County - the farms, the maple sugaring, the shops uptown," she said. "One of my favorite pieces is the Gazebo, which I think looks like Confluence. I've had other people tell me that, too."

Mitchell is adding older cars and trucks to her display, and enjoys it when people point out a model that they remember riding in.

"That is the best part. With the kids, it's the wonderment, and with the adults, it's memories," she explained.

"My husband and I travel all over looking for pieces to bring back to the display," she added.

Although she calls her display a "joint hobby" in which she and her husband can both take part, Mitchell said she is usually the one who decided about a new piece.

"I like to buy houses that have a significance for this area. Some houses I just added a local name, like I have a miniature Somerset Trust building and a Eckerd drugstore," she said. "I keep an eye out all year for new pieces to add to the collection."

In addition to using Department 56 pieces, Mitchell also uses Heritage, Lemax and Copperfield.

"Some of this seaon's new pieces are already out, and I am looking at what I want to purchase," she added.

When not working on their train display, which includes four trains on display from her husband's collection, the pair are kept busy restoring and remodeling a family cabin they purchased earlier this year.

"We've been busy this summer with the camp," she said with a smile. "But we'll be ready for Light-Up night with some new displays, too."